WARNING! dangerous experience on Radiance Cruise!

[Catnip]

that part alone says enough for me...you thought you were one that the laws meant nothing too...that it was no big deal UNLESS you got caught, and you did!!! I am glad you had to pay the fine, maybe next time you will listen and now have learned that they mean business!!

 

 

WOW! That is harsh!!!! :cool:

[klfhngr]

Man, some of you people are RUTHLESS! The OP could've left some info. out in order to look 'innocent', but chose to be honest and up front, and what happens? They get SLAMMED! Yea, they made a mistake, but at least they were up front and gave us all a fair warning and heads up! Like some of you have NEVER EVER made a mistake! SHEESH! And like one of you said, karma....? I can't wait to hear how YOUR next cruise goes!

[kooljamming]

No it isn't (a genuine mistake)!! I have kids and I watch what they do when they travel...if you read what he wrote he seems to think the law wouldn't pertain to him!! I read his story but chose from his first statement NOT to reply to the rest....now you are poking at me, yea, you are SO much better than I

 

Showing care has nothing to do with condoning a behavior. When I see someone get pulled over by the cop I don't say good, he shouldn't be breaking the law. First I think, lucky it wasn't me, then hope we are all more mindful next time. I teach my kids to care for and about people even when they don't agree or condone their behavior. Above all never to take delight in someone pain or sorrow. That was the lesson my parents taught me. Less than perfect people make mistakes and the truly brave one are willing to share. We are not better than you because we know we make mistakes and would hate for anyone to delight in it.

[Catnip]

Man, some of you people are RUTHLESS! Yea, they made a mistake, but at least they were up front and gave us all a fair warning and heads up! Like some of you have NEVER EVER made a mistake! SHEESH! And like one of you said, karma....? I can't wait to hear how YOUR next cruise goes!

 

I agree.........I can hardly believe the rudeness of some posters. The OP was telling of his own experience and he gets slammed! WTH? He did not go whining to RCCL & demand any compensation.....he was just giving others here a head's up. Some people need to chill out a little.

[NightRN]

Wow! People can be very opinionated on here.

 

I'm sorry that these unfortunate things happened to you and your family. It is unfortunate that some feel they need to prey on others.

 

To all those who are upset about the OP leaving his inlaws behind, what do you think of the seniors who go on cruises all by themselves? I think they are perfectly capable of doing it. My mom is going to be 70, and I wouldn't think twice if she told me she and her hubby were going on a cruise by themselves. When the in-laws joined the cruise, I'm sure they were aware that the OP and his wife were working, not on a pleasure cruise.

 

As far as the apple, you did the crime and then you did the time (well $ anyway), but why did they weigh the apple? What does the weight of the apple have to do with anything?

 

Thanks for the heads up from you and others who have shared their stories in this thread. I've led a very blessed life and was not aware of how bad things could be in other countries. I do know the basics - don't leave your stuff unattended, don't wear expensive jewelry, etc. I always thought it was an "opportunity" kind've issue, if the opportunity presented itself someone would take it. I just can't fathom groups of people planning ways to rob people of their belongings.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

No it isn't (a genuine mistake)!! I have kids and I watch what they do when they travel...if you read what he wrote he seems to think the law wouldn't pertain to him!! I read his story but chose from his first statement NOT to reply to the rest....now you are poking at me, yea, you are SO much better than I

 

 

I have kids and grandchildren too, its impossible to watch them all the time, I have often got to work and found a toy or half eaten chocolate bar in my bag, I never seen them put it there!!

And yes I was making a point at you for being so harsh, there are ways of saying things without being to harsh. Sorry if you felt offended.

[klfhngr]

I agree.........I can hardly believe the rudeness of some posters. The OP was telling of his own experience and he gets slammed! WTH? He did not go whining to RCCL & demand any compensation.....he was just giving others here a head's up. Some people need to chill out a little.

 

I agree.... And you wonder why some people are afraid to post here!? Hmmm?

[Traveling52]

No it isn't (a genuine mistake)!! I have kids and I watch what they do when they travel...if you read what he wrote he seems to think the law wouldn't pertain to him!! I read his story but chose from his first statement NOT to reply to the rest....now you are poking at me, yea, you are SO much better than I

 

Yes, but you seem to be the one suggesting you never make a mistake. If that is true, which I have my doubts. Someday you will make a mistake and then you might understand, but I doubt that too.

[Catnip]

I agree.... And you wonder why some people are afraid to post here!? Hmmm?

 

 

No kidding! That's the very reason why I never write a review and post it here at CC..........:eek:

[Promisekeeper]

Just wanted to say that our South America cruise on the Splendour last year was one of the best cruises we have ever taken. However, we took extra safety precautions and were very aware of our surroundings at all times. In Sao Paulo, we barely ventured from the hotel, only walked in the daylight and close to the hotel, NEVER took our passports, always a copy, only one credit card in a safe carrier. And still, while on an excursion with 12 other people, someone came up behind my husband, squirted mustard all over his pants, and tried to come up to "help" him clean it up with napkins. We have read about all kinds of these scams, so we shouted loudly for him to get away and we moved to a safer place to clean up. It just happens and you have to be careful.

We LOVED Santiago. We walked everywhere, ate in outdoor cafes, chatted with the locals, went to wine country, tour of the city and had no problems. But we were very careful.

Food/fruit taken into other countries is almost always forbidden. Even when you fly from the mainland to Hawaii, you cannot take fruit off the plane/ship etc. and the same thing coming back to the mainland from Hawaii. So we never take any food under any circumstances.

When other travellers find themselves in these unfortunate situations, it seems the time for others to rally around, be compassionate, helpful, supportive whether it be the airlines, cruiselines, tour operator, or just fellow passengers. It helps diffuse the fear, anger and uncertainty of the situation. People make mistakes, get distracted, and for all kinds of reasons end up in situations that are unfortunate. My sister in law and her husband were travelling in the states and took a cooler on board the plane they had used for picnics, and mistakenly left a knife they used for cutting apples in some paper towels. EVERYONE knows not to do that. But it was a mistake, and they were held in security forever, paid a hefty fine, questioned unmercifully, and finally made their flight barely in time. They will never do that again!

So don't quit travelling, cruising, and broadening your horizens by experiencing the world. Just be careful, think ahead, do your research, and by all means help others do the same.

[amybeth4]

But what about the laws and rules????????????

 

 

My guess is you didn't go through every reply (understandable) to read that after he got flamed for smuggling one apple, he said that his daughter took a bite of the apple and unwittingly put it in her mother's bag. Because they didn't take the rule as seriously as they should have, they didn't look through all of their carry-ons upon landing to double-check that there was no fruit that mysteriously made it into their bags.

 

They did NOT get off the plane with the intentions of smuggling ONE apple. He made that pretty clear in one of his replies.

 

People seem to be judging the inadvertant smugglage of one apple a HECK of a lot more than a gallon's worth of liquor in rumrunners...

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Sorry your in-laws had this horrible experience. Your story definitely reminds us to always be aware of things around us and to not carry large amounts of cash, passports and other valuables. It was a hard lesson learned.

 

I agree with others regarding your post title.....it is misleading. RC really didn't have any responsibility here.

 

 

 

***

[linda_22003]

As a woman, I'd like to suggest that women get out of the habit of carrying purses. I keep a wallet in one pocket, and keys and maybe a lipstick in another. When I do carry a purse on travel, it's one that is the size of many women's wallets, slung across my chest on a strap and kept in front of my body.

 

Women are in the habit of carrying extraneous crap in big purses, a habit that can be broken, and SHOULD be broken when traveling.

[amybeth4]

I know there are a lot of replies and most of us don't sit and read every reply once it starts getting very long...

 

I too thought, "I'm a bit surprised they left the old people alone to fend for himself," but back on page one he did write this...it wasn't just la-de-da, let's go on a fun family vacation:

 

Ah, it wasnt that easy. This was a working cruise and we were both contracted to teach the group. They bought an advanced level dance cruise which included workshops each day and group chaperoned excursions...they paid extra for this which included us performing cabarets and dancing with the group members each evening.

 

Also, we would have not been covered for our own expenses had we stayed behind....for 2 adults and 3 kids it would have been very expensive to stay 3 extra nights and then also fly 5 of us to the next port and pay for food on top....get real....suppose you know what its like with triplets and a group of 33 to look after?

 

And i dont hold RCI responsible for what happened but i do think that once it had, they could have helped a little more. It was me who run up over $500 in emails and phone calls booking flights from the ship, who spoke to them numerous times each day, who gave them all our money. My wifes parents did say we were not to stay in Santiago with them ...it was after all, doubling as our childrens holiday too.

[aloha43]

I've read all of the posts here....good and bad.

 

I feel for the OP and their family for what they experienced. I agree that the apple fine, and the purse getting stolen was horrible. A lesson learned, I'm sure.

 

But to blame RCL for their own personal mistakes is wrong. The title of the OP's post is misleading, and sounds very insulting to the Radiance and to RCL. RCL and/or the Radiance had nothing to do with their problems. Yes it was catchy to get people to read it....but it is misleading.

[narnia1]

Hi I know this is off the subject, but where did you obtain your travel insurance? My TA wants to charge like $350. Thanks.

[msmayor]

The title of this thread is really misleading...I clicked on it thinking that something dangerous happened ON the ship, when in reality it was a situation that had nothing to do with the cruise itself.

[abhb]

To the OP-Thank you for sharing the information. I am sure that anyone who reads this will take extra precautions to make sure that they don't have this happen on their next trip.

 

I am glad that your in-laws made it to the ship. It really is terrible what happened to them. It is just a reminder that it could happen to anyone of us, anywhere. It could even happen in your hometown:eek:

[Let'sGo!]

I don't even care my purse when I go on weekend trips to Las Vegas!

That said... I do feel badly for your in-laws. It sounds like they had an awful start to their trip. I picture that being my grandmother in that same position and it makes me feel very sad.

 

However, I feel that RCCL did as much as they could for your group. You mentioned there were others who had wallets stolent or missing passports. They couldn't work together as a group?

 

As for once on board, RCCL certainly didn't have to upgrade anyone from an inside to a GS - that sounds like a very nice gesture on their part, and certainly something they didn't have to do.

 

Maybe you're a world traveller - I don't know.

But I know I'm not. So when I do travel outside my US comfort zone, I myself am on some kind of internal high alert. Even if I'm just going to Cancun for a long weekend, I make sure I've dumped all fruit and anything that could get me in trouble before I get off the plane. I just want to risk any repercussion! I'm in a foreign country, I assure you I want to remain under the radar!

 

Hopefully your next post will be something about a great thing that happened on Radiance of the Seas.

[LisaH]

I travel often all over the world for work. No matter where I am - either in the US, Europe, Asia, Middle East, etc, I always exercise extra caution with my personal belongings.

Ladies - never hang your purse over the back of your chair, or even sit it down beside you. Always keep it on your lap where you have control over it. Not the most comfortable thing to do - but well worth it when compared to the risk of having it stolen. Also - when you are walking around, keep your purse close to your body - not just slung over your shoulder. Don't be an easy target.

Men - move your wallets to your front pockets. Not as easy to be pick-pocketed this way. Also - if you are walking with women, walk on the side that they are carrying their purses - this makes it more difficult for someone to steal your ladie's purse.

 

Just my 2 cents and information gathered from reading MANY international travel books.

 

I never leave my purse on the back of a chair...anywhere. It happened to a friend of my mother's here in Dallas...I bought a purse hook and when I can I use that as your purse can hang under the table right next to you where you can see it all the time and it is not on the dirty floor either.

[petesweet]

Did you purchase trip insurance? For $70 a year I have insurance that covers pretty much any loss I could possibly incur... from trip cancellation/interruption, theft, lost luggage... all the way up to being airlifted to a first-world hospital and $250,000 worth of medical expenses from anywhere on Earth.

 

I'd love to learn about that insurance. Would you mind sharing some details? Many thanks. Kathy

[LisaH]

Your Post title is very unfair

Of course I sympathise with your situation, and feel for your families stress, BUT, this was not a dangerous situation ON a Radiance cruise. More of a dangerous situation prior to joining a cruise. Royal ( or any other cruise line ) cannot be held responsible for the activities of locals that pray on tourists. It happens everywhere, and from your history, you are clearly well travelled, and therefore I would expected your own knowledge to have given you a better sense of watching belongings. I also have my own way of dealing with elderly parents, which is different from yours.

 

You made a terrible decision to leave them to deal with the embassy, and continue on your enjoyment of a cruise, I would be ashamed of myself for even thinking of such a thing, and I am surprised your family aloud you do do that, especially as you had already discovered the potential dangers in the area, so anything that happened after you sailed away, you really must accept responsibility for. We all know that cruise ports are only places visited by ships, and in the control of the local authority, you did not even have the decency to to forego a stupid tour, to ensure they were greated at the airport and escourted to the ship by a family member. Well done Royal for treating them so well with such a fab upgrade. I am sickened to hear how much you enjoyed your cruise, hang your head in shame...................

 

I do believe the OP has stated that they were on a contract and were legally bound to teach some dancing (if I remember correctly) on this cruise. I do not think there was a choice for them other than to go on the cruise.

[reallyitsmema]

I do believe the OP has stated that they were on a contract and were legally bound to teach some dancing (if I remember correctly) on this cruise. I do not think there was a choice for them other than to go on the cruise.

The OP also stated he brought this group of 33 on this trip. If he was the group leader, he should have done his homework. Ports should have been researched for travel advisories. I have no plans to go to that area but have read about the pickpocket problems many times.

 

Also, the whole "apple" issue might have been an expensive lesson that some want to gloss over but a parent is responsible for their child. The parent was aware that an apple was purchased and should have asked where it was before it became an issue.

 

When my family travels, we look out for each other. We verify that no one has left anything of value in an airplane before we get off. We all check the hotel room or cruise cabin before we leave, looking under beds and behind doors.

 

I feel bad for the elderly couple who had their money and passports stolen but who was looking out for them before they left the hotel that day? Had someone told the group to leave their passports and money in their safes, we would be reading a completely different story.

[hellosailer]

I know there are similar laws in Europe!! I was asking whether anyone knew anyone who had actually been ARRESTED for it in Europe. As far as I am aware, the fruit is confiscated and a warning is issued, if it is obviously an error. As I said, large quantity smuggling is probably treated as an 'arrestable' offence. But I don't think that in Europe they would go so far as to arrest people for such an error.

 

Would they?

[CarolS19]

I think this family have had a terrible experience and don't need the nasty comments. We will all be more careful after reading this story